Is Zimbabwe Cricket Just Not Good Enough?

By Perkins-Tino Bare

It was just a few months ago when for a whole month cricket fans rallied behind the Chevrons as they were taking part in the World Cup. Though the team was knocked out in the 1st round most people still rallied behind it praising the manner in which the team lost, the lads did not go down without a fight and in most instances they could have won some of the matches had it not been for their indiscipline.

Over the years it seemed as if Bangladesh was the only team Zimbabwe Cricket played. For a while it seemed as if the problem with our national cricket team the Chevrons was that they did not get enough game-time and this accounted for their dismal performances. Well over the past few months  well in fact the whole of 2015 if we are to add the World Cup as well.

The team has played a lot of cricket we have hosted India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland and now Afghanistan. The lads have therefore been exposed to different qualities yet one result has been recurrent over these past series which is losing even against teams we are supposed to be competitive against. This then starts that whole argument once again are these boys really good enough to be playing for the national team or we are placing an awful burden on them because as per lack of players.

The Chevrons certainly made headlines this week in the middle east when they became the first Test playing nation to lose an ODI series to an affiliate nation in Afghanistan. Apparently what seemed to surprise most people wasn`t the fact that we had lost but that it we had lost to Afghanistan in which even a footie can tell is not really that much of a cricket nation.

The coach Dav Whatmore was critical of his players this past Sunday when they lost as he went on to criticise the manner in which the team lost.  The coach went on to criticise sheer carelessness on the part of the players. He was saying that the boys did not really show any intent to win the match and apart from Sean Williams noone really showed any fight.

We`ve had this squad for years now and its not like they are going to get any better becauuse these are guys in their early 30s. It may be awful but they are certainly bringing their best to this team but then it has never been pleasing to both the fans with the results confirming it.

These guys are got way too comfortable in the squad and they have been made to believe that despite the fact that they play awful cricket they are still entitled to their places in the team. So far its only Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza who have been dropped from the squad for below-par performances and these were just moves by ZC to silence the fans had it been a progressive move then a lot more should have followed.

These guys are just not good enough and what we have seen are just glimpses of brilliance from them. This however has never built up to the decent form itself. Consistency has always been what`s lacking at Zimbabwe Cricket and it now shows that the brilliances that we have seen are just sheer luck.

Over the months the team has lost and lost and lost and this has not really bothered anyone because it`s Zimbabwe Cricket. After this we cannot go on to talk of rebuilding the team when the problem is right at the source itself.

Its time that we looked at what Zimbabwe Cricket is in itself. If it just exists to play cricket then this squad is just as good for them. But if this team is to ever start winning matches then this current squad has be absolutely done with.

After this humiliating loss to Afghanistan Zimbabwe A play Bangladesh A on the 2nd of November before the Chevrons take on Bangaladesh proper from the starting from the 7th and its now like deja-vu we`ve been there. This is simply not fair that fans go on to watch their team play with absolutely nor real prospect of winning. 

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